First Flight

by Sara Fanelli

Butterfly bursts out of her chrysalis and immediately wants to get closer to the blue sky above but she has no idea how to launch herself. After repeated tumbles she appeals to flight experts all over the world for help. Her search goes to Italy, France, China, Scotland and Brazil. Each time, she tries out a new suggestion and each time, she lands back on earth (sometimes with a painful bump). When, eventually, she appeals to her mother for help, Butterfly takes off without even realizing it, and so her quest for flight is at an end -- “ How happy am I, at last I can fly! ”

40 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Sara Fanelli was born in 1969 in Florence, where she studied for a Diploma di Maturita at the Liceo Classico Michelangelo before coming to England, where she studied at the City and Guilds of London Art School, Camberwell School of Art, and the Royal College of Art, London.

She has undertaken illustration work for various publications, including the New York Times, the Independent on Sunday and the New Scientist. Her clients include The Royal Mail, BBC Worldwide, and Tate.

Reviews

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Italian-born illustrator, Sara Fanelli, of whom I am a huge fan, shows us how her design and innovative collage approach to illustration is one which is exciting and new. This story, with touching endpapers, tells us of one butterfly's quest to discover flight. She travels around the world seeking advice from many and children will be encouraged to closely reading the meaning behind the lines and images throughout each of which help unravel little elements of the butterfly's passage through the story.
This is a painstakingly well-crafted flight of fantasy from Fanelli who understands the craft of the picturebook landscape as well as the very best but also understands that those big questions that children ask - are important to explore in a way that will delight and engage them.

[Debi Rutter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sara Fanelli's First Flight, is a picture book of extraordinary beauty and simplicity. To be read to smaller children, children over 16 up to 106 may like to read it to themselves for the uplifting story and clever use of collected items to pictorially portray the theme.
The imagery is similar to Lauren Child's use of text and pictorial mix, this book is illustrated in the sense that the words and pictures work together to bring about a cohesive whole.
The story is a simple tale of trying to achieve something and attaining that goal; this is good for children because it subtly confirms their understanding that if you keep trying you can learn to do anything.
There are historical and philosophical references that could be worked into a deeper conversation with slightly older children.